Raising Hell
by Echo on the Run
Summary: Demonic influence and dimension hopping make for a very different childhood. Wielding unique skills and bad-ass weapons, Naruto must do his best to carve out a place for his new family in a war-torn realm. Come Hell or high water, angel or demon, he'll thrash anything in his way as only the host to the Queen of the Netherworld can! Trained!Naruto; Hiatus until June
1. Chapter 1

_Hey Folks, Echo here!_

_I'll leave the longer A/N until the end of the chapter, but just a few things to point out. This is _not_ going to follow canon characters for the most part, especially once the divergences start to build up. I recently read a story that was supposedly all about how single actions lead to huge changes, but it still followed the anime literally word-for-word. Drove me insane, even if it was fairly-well written._

_Second, you may have noticed this is a crossover with Disgaea. Again, do _not_ expect the characters to fit in with their canon roles and personalities. I'm only halfway through the first one anyways, so I have no idea how some of the characters I'll be using would actually react._

_Final point before getting to the story. I'll aim for it being mostly humorous (in a loose sense of the term), but there are still going to be parts where you won't like what I did. It's a story about demons and ninja, and both of those groups kill. Period. Any deaths will be for a good reason, but know that they will happen further along. Also, the first chapter here is kind of dark, but not any more so than the majority of stories depicting Naruto's non-canon childhood.  
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_If that's it then, here...we...go!_

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**Prologue: Many Meetings**

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"Ah, crap," a six year old Naruto cursed as he got to his feet from where he'd been laying in murky water. "Man, they didn't have to actually _throw_ me out of the orphanage. I hit my head pretty hard on that street light."

As he looked around, a confused expression crossed his face at the dank atmosphere. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud. "Unless someone dropped me off in the sewer, I should have just woken up on the street."

Accepting that it was a strange occurrence, Naruto began to amble down the hall in the direction of a reddish light. He figured that the other direction would only lead further into the sewers, and he could get lost.

As he walked, he took some time to inspect the strange pipes lining the walls. He could see three distinct kinds: red, blue, and black. The blue pipes were very large compared to the others, and pulsed with a soft light.

In contrast, the black pipes were only as wide as his thumb and had no distinctive qualities. It looked like the black pipes were connected closely with the red, but must not have been in use.

The red pipes were a curiosity. They glowed like the blue pipes, but also dripped a scarlet-colored _something_ onto the blue pipes. This substance would get absorbed quickly, leaving a darker purple smudge on the pipe for a few seconds before fading.

But that barely held his attention as he walked along, kicking at the murky water now and again. Naruto had been more annoyed than angry, not willing to dwell on what the caretakers at the orphanage did. As far as he was concerned, he'd just make their lives miserable someday when he was Hokage.

The hall slowly got lighter as he walked along, taking several turns to keep the light his destination. He wondered what else might be down here, but tried not to think on it.

_"Probably where the rats are,"_ he told himself. _"That's why they left me where they did; whoever it was didn't want to risk running into a bunch of sewer rats. Come to think of it, neither do I."_

He'd lost track of how long he'd been walking, but he didn't fatigue at all. Naruto knew patience well, because he was usually the last one to get food at meals or be allowed to bathe.

Still, everybody has their limits. Just as he got close to having an outburst, he turned the corner and the hall opened up into a great cavern. He stood in awe of the sheer size of the room, and rightfully so.

Not only did the ceiling stretch high enough to just barely be lost in the dark, but the far wall consisted entirely of three-foot thick metal pillars like a cage. In the middle of the pillars was a large sheet of paper with the kanji for 'Seal' on it, not that Naruto could read.

Most impressive of all though, were the pair of glowing red eyes on the other side of the bars. Eyes that were almost forty feet off the ground.

**"Ah, you made it,"** a very large-sounding voice echoed against the walls. **"Took you long enough, I was starting to get bored. And considering I've been sitting here for six years, that's saying a lot."**

Naruto stumbled forward in awe eyes transfixed by the massive red orbs above him.

"S-Sorry," he squeaked out. "I didn't realize you were waiting. But who are you anyways? What are you? And what are you doing in the sewer?"

**"Isn't it polite to introduce yourself before asking what I am, let alone _who_ I am?"** the monstrous being almost seemed amused.

Blushing slightly, Naruto remembered his seldom-used manners. "I'm Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto," he spoke up. "I'm only six right now, but someday I'll be the Hokage!"

He got a response. **"I'm the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Ninth of the Bijuu and Former Overlord of Hell,"** the beast moved forward into the light so he could see it, and the head lowered to look him in the eye. **"But you can just call me Rozalin."**

Naruto said nothing, but fell back on his butt in fear and surprise when he got a better look at the massive fox demon, all nine tails swishing around slowly further back in the blackness.

It took Naruto a few moments to come up with a reply, as he sat there with his mouth hanging open stupidly. He had several options to work with:

1. Get pissed. This was the beast that attacked Konoha when he was a baby, and probably had killed his parents or caused their deaths indirectly.

2. Run away as fast as possible. Six year old versus greatest of the Bijuu? No even the Legendary Sucker he'd heard about would take a gamble on that match-up. He didn't seem to register that it was behind massive bars.

3. Laugh hysterically. Complete psyche breakdown, lock-me-up-in-a-padded-room type of crazy. Might as well have a good laugh before he was devoured. Or squished.

4. Shit his pants. About 90% of the general populace would have unconsciously picked this option.

As it was, Naruto did something that was extremely unexpected, not at all out of character compared to some of his actions otherwise.

"Rozalin?" he asked. "Isn't that a girl's name?"

The Kyuubi blinked once. Twice. And then with all the subtlety and force of a hurricane, it broke down laughing. The walls shook as it rolled around, and a large wave of dirty water threatened to wash the small boy away.

It took almost a minute before the beast settled down, and gave Naruto a _most_ predatory grin that pronounced its already formidable teeth.

**"You thought I was a boy?"** it boomed, but in an amused way. **"Guess again, midget! I'm Queen of the Netherworld! Or at least was, until I got stuck in this realm."**

The Kyuubi finished this statement almost sheepishly, something very hard for a five-story tall demon fox to do. Naruto continued to stare, after he had finished shaking the unwanted water from his frame.

**"I don't feel like revealing my true self to you now, though,"** it sat down on its flank and began to watch him again. **"No, you haven't earned that honor yet."**

It seemed as though the boy's mind had finally caught up with the situation, and he re-evaluated his options from before. Though going insane and soiling himself still sounded like good options, he managed to push those aside in favor of anger.

"You!" he shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the Kyuubi. "You fucking bastard! Do you have any idea how many people you killed?! My parents are dead because of you!"

At that, Naruto realized that yes, the cause of his parents' deaths was right before him. He continued to curse for sometime, showing a vocabulary unusually colorful for one his age, until he ran out of energy and fell to his knees while tears ran tracks down his cheeks.

The Kyuubi was frowning, not that it was an easy expression for the demon to make in her fox form. It knew that this conversation had been a long time coming, and the results of how it would play out could define her life for quite some time.

**"Are you done yet?"** she intoned, and Naruto glanced up, anger budding in his eyes again. **"Because if you are, I'll let you in on what really happened, not the bullshit propaganda they probably spread through the village. But if you'd rather, I have no problem sitting on that information until you're a withered husk. I _am_ immortal, you know."**

Naruto stared at the Kyuubi, somehow sensing she was being far more serious than before, and that it wasn't something she did often. He still had a frown on his face as he sat down to face her, but said, "Fine, tell me what actually happened. Obviously the Hokage lied about the Fourth defeating you if you're stuck down in the sewers. How exactly did they get you down here in the first place?"

He got a blank stare at those questions. **"Midget, we aren't in the sewers,"** it said. **"This is your mindscape. It just looks like a sewer system because no one's done anything to nurture it for you. I know you like to wear that happy-go-lucky mask when you're around other people, but it won't fly here."**

Naruto didn't know whether to be indignant that his mind was a total bust, or scared that the Kyuubi knew more than she should. Either way, it continued talking before he could respond.

**"But that's not what we're here to talk about. Let me tell you a little story about a man called ****Minato** Namikaze, and his wife **Kushina** Uzumaki..."

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**Chapter 1: Scarred**

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Naruto stared numbly ahead, dimly aware of the Third Hokage barking orders in the background. It didn't matter what he said, anyways. Nothing could compare to the bombshell that had been dropped on the young boy.

_"My parents were heroes,"_ he told himself, rubbing anxiously at his left shoulder. _"They managed to seal away Rozalin before that Uchiha could enslave her again. My mother was the last of her clan! My father was the Fourth, for Kami's sake! So why am I here right now..."_

Naruto didn't even notice the other ninja leaving the room, or the Third coming over and kneeling before where he was seated with a deep look of concern and regret painted over his features.

_"Minato, Kushina, how did it come to this?"_ he sadly asked himself as he looked into the dead eyes of their son. _"I failed again, failed you and Naruto. Maybe now I can begin to set things right."_

Indeed, he had failed. After placing Naruto at the orphanage to protect him from being used y one of the clans or Danzo, the old man had focused on restoring the village back to full strength. As the years passed he occasionally thought of the boy, but purposefully distanced himself. It would raise suspicion if he openly interacted with the boy. Hokages and orphans don't mix.

And then he got the news of what had happened. After Naruto was thrown out of the orphanage, several civilians who still blamed Naruto kidnapped him while he was laying unconscious in the street. It had only taken them an hour to find where he'd been hidden away, almost too late.

His ANBU had to cut Naruto down from where he'd been suspended by his neck from a support beam in an underground warehouse. The boy's face was blue, tongue swollen out the open mouth, but he was very much aware and alive. At least, aware in the sense of being conscious. He was obviously in shock, and probably had been for some time.

The kidnappers had broken both his hands, but still Naruto had scratched at the rope to the point where he'd left deep bloody furrows along the side of his neck. There was a nasty series of gashes stretching across his chest from right shoulder to left hip. Even hours after he'd been brought down, the wounds couldn't fully heal.

Not even the Uzumaki healing factor or the regenerative properties of the Kyuubi could get rid of the nasty black scar that stretched all around his neck from where the rope bit into his skin. It would stay with him the rest of his life, a startling reminder of how the Third couldn't protect even the child of his dearest friends.

"Naruto," he said gently, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. At the touch, he instantly shied away, eyes going from spaced-out to frantic in a heartbeat. "Naruto, can you hear me?"

Those eyes met the Hokage's, who felt his blood freeze. Eyes so blank didn't belong on a child. They looked dead, no light behind them at all.

"Is it true?" Naruto asked him in a terribly raspy voice. A small dribble of blood slid down the corner of his mouth as he spoke, and his face went another couple shades closer to white.

"Don't speak," Hiruzen told him, carefully wiping the blood away with the corner of his robe. "Don't worry now, you're safe. I'll bring you some water, and then find you a warm bed to sleep in."

Naruto didn't seem to hear any of it. He just pushed the gentle hand away and asked again. "Is it true? Am I a demon?"

The Third's expression seemed to break, but his voice came out steady. "No, child, you are _not_ a demon. Those villagers have been taken care of and can't hurt you anymore. Now how about we find you a bed to rest in?"

He grabbed Naruto's hand, and began to gently, but firmly, pull him towards the Tower infirmary. As he did so, Naruto other hand pulled away at the bandages wrapped around his chest.

"That's not what it says here," he looked down at his chest, babbling away in shock. "Can't read it, can't read _anything_, but they told me what it says. Oh, yes, they told me what _this_ word means!"

Carved into his chest were several letters, letters that would define the boy's life. If he hadn't been receptive to Rozalin before, he would accept her every word after this act. After all, Naruto wasn't quite sure he wanted to be human anymore, a sad thought for any child to have.

"Hokage-sama, who were my parents?" Naruto suddenly asked and pulled his hand away from the Third's. "You knew them, didn't you?"

"No, Naruto," the man hated how well he could lie to the child. "I never knew who your parents were, but I'm sure they loved you very much. Now let's get you to the infirmary."

He picked Naruto up this time, and began to carry him away. The boy had begun to cry, for the first time since the incident, and Hiruzen's heart went out to him.

Little did he know that Naruto was crying not in pain, but out of loss. Rozalin had been honest with him. Rozalin hadn't lied about not knowing who his parents were. Rozalin had kept him alive as he hung from the rafters, red chakra searing his lungs as a poor substitute for oxygen.

_"Can't trust the Hokage,"_ Naruto firmly told himself. _"Best ninja in the village, probably the best liar. I can't trust him, or anyone else. Trust gets people hurt."_

He was dimly aware of being set down gently on a bed, with soft covers pulled up to his chin afterwards. Sleep came quickly to the exhausted boy's mind, but not so quickly that he couldn't have one last thought.

_"I need to get strong, with Rozalin's help. She never lied; she told me everything. Rozalin is the only one I can trust, and she'll help me get stronger."_

Blackness swept over him then, and the Hokage left from where he'd been standing vigil. As he walked, he snapped his fingers and several ANBU seemed to appear around him.

"Dog, watch over him, and make sure that no one save myself gets in to see him. Cat, Boar, go to the orphanage, and bring me back anyone who is slightly responsible for throwing him out. Snake, Badger, alert the Council for an emergency meeting. Dismissed!"

"HAI!"

They all bounded away to their respective duties, as the God of Shinobi headed for his office to prepare. Face set in a steadfast expression, he took a moment to look out the window and observe Konoha.

"Time to do my job as I should have all along," he muttered to himself. "Time to bring back the Will of Fire from where it's been sleeping."

And with those words, he pulled the necessary documents out to begin a crusade to take back his former power. The council wouldn't know what hit them.

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Morning came like any other day, and the vast majority of people noticed nothing different. However, several shock waves powered trough the village, waves of change and reform.

At the academy, class had been canceled for a week to create a new curriculum. Torture and Interrogation had several new subjects, and the orphanage gained an entirely new staff. Most importantly, the civilian council and advisers had been stripped of any martial powers, relegated to only economic realms instead of having a say in military matters.

The Uchiha had been once again mobilized into active service, no longer serving simply as the police force. When Fugaku demanded an answer from the Hokage in his usual fashion, he was met instead with a blast of ungodly KI and told that any registered ninja was subject to the Hokage's word, including Fugaku himself.

And through all of it, a small blonde-haired boy slept, hand protectively placed over he four-clover mark on his left shoulder. It pulsed occasionally, and each pulse brought peace to the troubled boy's dreams.

And so it came to be that the destiny of one Naruto Uzumaki was forever changed.

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**Fin.**

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_So, what do you think?_

_That chapter got_ _a _lot_ darker than I'd intended it to be. Hopefully it doesn't turn everyone off the story. I can promise that the next few will be a lot lighter than this one. _

_As far as Naruto actually scarring, I'd always been skeptical about his regeneration. Even rapid healing should leave scars, and as far as I'm concerned regeneration is a demon-only ability, As Naruto isn't a demon, he doesn't have that ability. You'll find out later what the scars are, but it shouldn't be too hard to deduce anyways._

_I had a lot of inspiration as I started writing this, from a number of sources. In no particular order, here are a few of them:_

_Disgaea: Heart of Darkness (I won't spend forever explaining the settings, so look up at least the game basics)_

_Kitsune's Power by TheBeardedOne (What actually made me think I should try my hand at writing a Naruto story)_

_Harry Potte and the Gift of Memories by The Engulfing Silence (Very well-written for realistic emotions)_

_Wheel of Time (Mat, especially. You'll see this later on if you're familiar with him)_

_Something Wicked This Way Comes by The Mad Mad Reviewer (Great Harry Potter fic if you're looking for one)_

_And there are lots of others, but not all listed. I'll do my best to make this a unique story, and not just a re-make of something else. Still, don't get angry at a few cliches, because it's hard to avoid them at this point.  
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_A couple last things._ _I'm _really_ busy, so updates will probably be slow. If that's a deal-breaker, then I'm sorry. I could only get this much done because I'm on spring break, and even then I have homework. Check out my bio to see what all I get up to before you demand that I post something._

_There will be lots of OC's in this story, but I'm going to try and relegate them to either background roles or actually give them some form of character development. Don't think I just throw them in for no reason, though. I've got a reason for each one, even if it isn't obvious when they're introduced._

_I raised the graduation age of the academy from 12 to 16, something that I see as reasonable. Child soldiers aside, kids who are just starting to hit puberty don't make for the best supporting military force. Also, I'm going to introduce the concept of the accelerated academy (clan children and promising civilians) and the regular academy (civilians with no shinobi background). For Konoha to be a military power, they'd need a lot of ninja, more so each year than just the group that graduated in canon, especially if most genin end up dying during the chuunin exams._

_Pairings! Everybody loves pairings! Okay, not everyone, but a lot of folks do. I've got at least one girl decided, maybe a couple more. No, Rozalin is not going to be one of them. I'm tempted to do a harem, but I'm sick of CRA stories and things like that (way too easy an option, guys). If I can't figure out how to work around that effectively, I'll only do the single pairing. It's more realistic that way as well._

_Finally, thanks for reading this! I'll do my best as a writer to keep it interesting for you all, and hope that I can get some kind of emotion/reaction from you at some point. If I get even one message saying that happened, I'll count this as a successful story. In the future I'll aim at making the chapters around 5000 words, but no promises. I'll write until I think I've reached a stopping point.  
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_Oh, and please review! I don't have a beta, nor am I looking for one, but I'll cut out as many basic problems as possible. I'm super personal about my writing, and it's taken a lot to even get me to try posting this once. No flames though, because I'll pin up my favorite bad-reviews for everyone else to laugh at. Also, it's raining here, so the flames will just go out anyways._

_Rock on, doods! Gotta run!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey Folks, Echo here!_

_Hopefully this chapter doesn't come across nearly as dark as the last one. It's mostly about Naruto training, with a few major time skips in it. This will set up Naruto's relationships with many characters though, so don't skip it in anticipation for when he starts actually kicking ass and taking names._

_Also a bit about energies. In this, mana is something that higher beings possess, a sort of super-concentrated energy with no natural properties (corrosive, healing, enhancing, etc.). Mana could be used by demons or angels, but no humans would have a natural mana network._

_As always, I'll leave the longer A/N for the end. And with that said, on with the story!_

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**Chapter 2: Trial and Error**

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The sun wasn't yet up, and already Naruto was training like a madman. Granted, at eight years old it wasn't the most fascinating process in the world, but everyone starts small.

He was currently in the middle of a couple hundred pushups. Though his arms were furiously sore, he didn't let up a single bit. A thin layer of red chakra stood out over his muscles, healing the microscopic rips only moments after they formed and driving away fatigue.

Rozalin had become an integral part of Naruto's life since that night two years prior. They'd spent a month forging a mental connection so they could communicate outside of his mindscape, and since then she'd become his personal trainer. After the incident, they decided that he needed to grow stronger at a much faster rate than the village could allow, hence the nightly training sessions.

Naruto's stamina was staggering for a boy his age, and coupled with the directed healing from the Kyuubi, he could push to limits that those twice his age couldn't reach. Yokai really was amazing, when one stopped to think about it.

And so they started a fierce schedule. He would spend the night physically training, when no one else was around to watch or interfere. At least half of that time was spent running, alternating nights for speed or endurance training. During the morning he would retreat to his den to practice control exercises, and then he would sleep through the afternoon while talking with the Kyuubi in his mindscape. It balanced recovery with quality workouts very well, and had extremely noticeable results.

The Hokage had tried to set Naruto up with an apartment after the incident, key word being 'tried'. The boy just left, and would live out of a small den set into the side of the mountain that made the Hokage Monument. Every time Hiruzen had had his ANBU move Naruto back into town, the boy would bide his time before leaving again. The games of cat and mouse went on for almost a month before the aged shinobi gave up trying to force Naruto to stay in town.

It had done marvels for Naruto's stealth abilities. Though they always found him, repeatedly hiding from the ANBU was the best possible way to train his abilities at sneaking around. Every now and then he would slip into town and cause some mayhem, just for the sake of gaining an additional lesson.

As he finished his push-ups, Naruto jumped up into a nearby tree and dangled himself by hooking his legs over a supportive branch. Once settled, he began doing crunches against gravity. Though the blood rushed to his head, he persevered with forceful stubbornness.

Rozalin directed her yokai to his core and back, easing the strain but not lessening the effort needed to complete the task. It had actually been Naruto that came up with the training method after she complained he was severely limited by his child's body.

Just before the sun came up, Naruto wrapped bandages around his torso and a black handkerchief he had _acquired_ around his neck to cover up the scars. Then he sped on over to his den for control exercises, snapping off a leafy branch along the way.

Naruto and Rozalin had spent the better part of a year trying to activate Naruto's latent mana network, the energy that the higher demons and angels utilized, though the Bijuu had reserves of yokai as well. It was a slow process, mostly because no human had ever had a mana pool before so Rozalin didn't even know where to start.

In the meantime, control sessions focused on both chakra and yokai. He would meditate for hours, forcing the different energies to different parts of his body. The chakra flowed far more easily than yokai, which the boy felt like he was wrestling with anytime he tried to make it do something. It also stung like a bitch to use it, but the pain was far less than the first times he was exposed to it.

Constant exposure to the yokai and Rozalin's latent mana was beginning to show in Naruto's physique ever so slightly. His ears were starting to taper, and he'd grown an extra couple of inches taller than was normal for a boy his age. Rozalin assured him the changes were an expected result of the interaction between the yokai and her mana pool, and would only strengthen his body.

When she told him very seriously her training would eventually lead him to becoming a hanyou, he'd just blinked back at her and asked what the big deal was. She'd simply smiled in response.

This morning's control exercise was one he'd been doing for a month, and was just starting to get the hang of it. It was a variant of the leaf-balancing exercise, followed by yokai manipulation. Once the leaf had been stuck firmly for fifteen minutes, he would try and disintegrate it with yokai without letting the leaf itself fall off.

Simple in theory, but the combatant natures of chakra and yokai made it a valuable exercise in control much more potent than either method would be alone. He'd progressively add more leaves to different parts of his body as the morning wore on. So far he could practice with ten leaves corroding and another thirty stuck elsewhere, but he was slowly increasing that number.

After another five hours, Naruto swept the leaf remains out of the entrance of his den and headed towards the back where he actually lived. It seemed as though years back someone had tried to convert the cave into a living space, but gave up when they were halfway done. It had three main rooms and a smaller one that he used for storage.

Presently, Naruto began snacking on some dried meat, which had come from a deer he caught last week during his nightly endurance training. The blonde's diet was meat, roots, berries, and other edible plants. Occasionally he would sneak into town for a treat, but even then he had no way to prevent from being overcharged. Once again he made a note to learn the _Henge_ as soon as possible so he could actually buy proper equipment instead of scavenging.

After a few other snacks, Naruto settled himself down on a pile of soft furs and curled up. He clutched at four-leaf clover on his shoulder, and felt himself fall into his mindscape even as his body began to sleep.

Rozalin was waiting for him, as always. Even though she worked on her own secret project while he was doing control exercises, she would usually start to get impatient just before he made it into the mindscape.

The place itself had been remodeled to look like the forest outside his den, with the massive cage set into the side of the hill. They were still trying to find a way to adjust the manifestation of the seal, but to no avail. That said, a cave was a hell of a lot more comfortable than sitting in sewer water.

**"Finally,"** she said as he stood in front of her. **"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me."**

"I could never forget you, Rozalin-hime," Naruto jokingly bowed low. "How could I ever forget the one that is constantly with me? The one that I sleep with? Who sees me when I bathe? The-"

**"I get it, and you can shut up now,"** the Kyuubi grumbled. **"Besides, you tried that one on my last month. Figure out something new to say, or I'll get bored. And remember, if the lady gets bored-"**

"The gent never gets any," Naruto finished the phrase. They both began laughing at their joke, though he assumed he was still missing the actual point of it.

He was only eight, after all.

"So what is it tonight?" he asked after they'd calmed down. "Are you going to tell me more about the Underworld? Will you tell me about Celestia again? Did you come up with a new yokai control exercise for me?"

**"Calm down, grasshopper,"** she chided almost affectionately. **"Tonight will be special. I did some searching, and think I found a way to unlock the mana in you."**

Naruto was not expecting that, and immediately got excited. "That's great! How are we going to do this?"

**"You know how you have the pathways for mana because of me, but they're just inactive?"** the Ninth Bijuu asked, and got a confirming nod. **"I found the part of the Seal that stoppers off the mana from being used. With your help, we can open it up again."**

She continued. **"****But you have to be ready for it. Odds are pulling away even the tiny bit of seal will hit you with a flood of my energy, yokai and mana both. Better brace yourself for when it happens."**

The boy could barely contain his enthusiasm. "Just point out what I need to do, Rozalin-hime."

**"See this part right here?"** she asked him, and a small part along the paper's edge of the seal glowed blue at her words. **"This is the stopper for the mana network. Be careful not to rip anymore off, though, or else there could be consequences."**

"Like what?" Naruto asked as he walked over to the seal and reached up.

**"We both die,"** was the honest answer, stated matter-of-fact.

Naruto paused, gulped once, and then steeled his nerves. He knew Rozalin was completely serious, and the fact she even shared this new information with spoke of her unspoken confidence in him. With a firm hand, he reached up and ripped the designated section from the seal, but nothing more.

Almost immediately, the mindscape began to shake and rumble. Large trees crashed down, boulders fell from the hillside, and several jagged fissures appeared in the ground. Naruto hardly noticed, because he was busy rolling on the ground in agony.

The Kyuubi could only watch on anxiously, safe in the cage, as Naruto's mindscape tried to accommodate the new energies that were flowing through his body. They had chosen to let his chakra and yokai manifest as rivers, set far away from the cage. A new wave of blackish energy burst from the confines of the cage, followed by another wave of corrosive red yokai.

The yokai filtered off into the unseen pathways already established in the mindscape, but the mana raged on for some time as it developed a new pool to be sequestered in. The whole process took maybe fifteen minutes, though Naruto blacked out from the pain after only five.

Rozalin herself felt unusually drained, sure that the mana transfer came entirely from her own stores. That coupled with the wave of yokai she released made her drop the energy-expensive transformation she'd been holding whenever she conversed with her charge. Instead of a terrible fox-demon, the cage now housed a gorgeous blonde in a formal gown decorated in maroon and black. Two satiny bat-like wings sprung from her shoulders, and several gems cut to perfect spheres decorated the outfit.

Seeing her later would thrash any and all small doubts Naruto housed about her not being the Queen of the Underworld.

_"Might as well let it stand,"_ she told herself as she straightened out and looked through the bars of the cage (which were now significantly smaller). _"For going through that, I think it's time we took the next step in his training."_

And with that she sat down to wait.

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Rozalin was right in her assumption. The moment he woke up and caught sight of her new form, he blushed furiously red and began to fervently study his toes. He cut it out though when she managed to throw a glob of yokai at him from the seal and snap him out of it.

The surge of mana had further progressed Naruto's non-human traits, making him taller, ears slightly more tapered (though still not as pointed as Rozalin's own), and slimmer. He was confused about this, until she explained to him that because demonic muscle was inherently more powerful it would shrink to house the same force as his relatively bulkier human muscles. When he pouted slightly, she pointed out that this would keep him from becoming too dense, a hindrance in may situations.

Besides, stealth was easier to come by when there was less of a body to hide.

And so they talked long into the night, though time really had no meaning in the mindscape. They decided that he would soon need actual instructors for the ninja arts, as well as a number of demon battle abilities Rozalin knew about. This left them with a fairly simple set of goals:

1. Learn the _Henge_ technique, so that Naruto could actually travel unimpeded through town. This could also gain him access to the Shinobi Library and various shops, all of which he would need in the coming years.

2. Contact the Netherworld. Rozalin would take charge on that front, using her knowledge of the realm to try and fashion a method of communicating with some of her old vassals. She knew of several demons that would leap at the chance to aid her by teaching Naruto, provided they were still alive.

3. Find some chakra weights. Because of how they restrict growth, especially in kids, Naruto had decided to avoid chakra weights for the last two years. Still, they would be an invaluable training device, and so he would seek out a place where he could get a set to cover his body, not just his arms and legs.

4. Start making money. Even with his monthly stipend, Naruto had next to no money to spend. He would need to find some way to start gaining ryo, especially if he wanted to buy himself a set of chakra weights.

5. Get new clothes. The leggings he'd been using previously were suddenly much too short, and his already-small jacket was now all but useless.

6. Find the old Namikaze estate. Naruto's parents' home was hidden away somewhere in the forest around Konoha, though no one had ever actually been there. Since the Third Hokage actively denied he knew of Naruto's parentage, it was down to the blonde to find the place and access its library and arsenal.

Naruto gained a semi-permanent frown when they began discussing the old Hokage. He held great respect for the man's power, but even greater distrust. Naruto could see no valid reason to deny him his inheritance and parentage for the sake of village security any longer, especially not after the new reforms were instated two years back.

Chuunin and jounin were now subject to review once a year, and failure to meet standards was met with a loss in pay and either demotion or rigid training regimens, dubbed Boot Camp 2.0 by the older forces. It certainly cut down on slacking at one's position, and rewarded competence over sheer ability. All of this led to a much-stronger corps, something the other major villages had noticed very quickly after altercations with Konoha shinobi.

Naruto made it a point to wear an emotional mask around anyone that could have power over him, primarily the Hokage and his ANBU. It gave him plausible reason to keep asking the older man who his parents were, hoping against hope for a different answer each time.

Rozalin also wanted Naruto to look into the possibility of solid clones. While she was flat out against ever using them in combat, she pointed out they could have uses off the field. By using clones to hunt, gather, and scavenge, it would allow Naruto more time to train each day. That in itself made it worth the time to learn the technique, provided they could get their hands on instructions.

With those plans in mind, Naruto finally let himself drift away from the mindscape for a few hours of undisturbed rest.

.

Learning the _Henge_ had actually taken very little time, after Naruto broke into the academy and sifted through the few jutsu scrolls they actually had. In addition to the _Henge_, Naruto also made sure to grab a copy of the _Kawarimi_ at Rozalin's urging. Demons had their own ways of avoiding incoming attacks, but he wouldn't be able to learn those for some time.

By the end of the night he could perform both techniques without hand seals, another of his goals for any jutsu he would learn. At first he had wanted to build up a large arsenal of jutsu, but Rozalin talked him out of it.

**"No sense in wasting time on a lot of things when you can master a few in the same amount of time,"** she had said. **"The secret is to have just enough to have something effective against anyone you might meet, but no more. Knowing too many techniques will only get confusing when you end up in a fight, and there are very few ninja that can sort through a hundred techniques quickly enough when they have a tenth of a second to act."**

It was true, especially since he knew most ninja stuck to a base few jutsu even if they knew about fifty others. The goal would be to master several, maybe create some variations, and never let an enemy get away to report what his skills were.

Naruto could only shake his head at other ninja and how they telegraphed their moves well ahead of time. Even at eight, he knew it was stupid to call the name of a technique if there was a chance it could be heard by an opponent.

And so, with the knowledge of the _Henge_ under his belt, Naruto became more active around the village. It was amazing that not even ANBU seemed to see through his transformation, but he chalked it up to using a small amount of yokai and mana along with the chakra.

With access to the Shinobi Library came access to a new range of possible techniques and styles, though Rozalin asked him to wait with taijutsu until she could find him a proper teacher that understood the limits of a hanyou body. Under the _Henge_ he could also go shopping without getting thrown out of stores, though he was still extremely frugal with his money.

One day he found himself outside of a shop with a simple sign labeled 'Higurashi Shinobi Outfitters', and decided to check it out. Upon seeing the neatly organized stands of weapons and racks of armor, he almost shouted in happiness. It was every demonic eight year old's dream come true.

"Can I help you?" a deep voice called from the counter, and Naruto turned to see a massive, bearded man covered in soot giving him a polite smile. "My name's Kuma Higurashi, by the way."

"I'm Matsu Mori, a pleasure to meet you," Naruto answered. His form at the time was more akin to a teen academy student than a child. "I was thinking about getting some kunai and shuriken, and perhaps a staff as well."

A scroll detailing bojutsu had caught his eyes at the library, and he found himself wanting to learn the art of the staff. He knew that he would need a separate weapon when fighting indoors, but the desire to find a suitable staff had been bugging him for some time. Granted, he knew he couldn't learn bojutsu from a scroll, but at least he could get familiar with the weapon itself.

"Hmm, I can outfit you with those," the man said, lurching to his feet and carefully picking his way around the shop. Naruto suddenly had great respect for him, as the grace he possessed coupled with his body size pointed towards at least basic training in combat.

That or ballet, but Naruto thought the former was more likely.

"Did you want practice throwing weapons, or ones for the field?" Kuma asked, and got a curious look in return. "Practice kunai and shuriken are the same size, but their blades are blunted. Helps prevent the younger folks from stabbing each other accidentally during training."

"Field weapons then, definitely," 'Matsu' answered with conviction. "I have no worries about accidentally hurting someone. Also, do they come with a holding pouch? Mine got ripped up in an accident."

In truth, Naruto had no weapons pouch before, but he had to keep with his act for the moment.

"Sure, I can throw in a new pouch with those," Higurashi said as he set the required things on the counter before moving towards the back of the small store. "Good thing you're tall enough to use a staff, Matsu. A lot of kids your age wouldn't be able to without tripping themselves up every five seconds."

_"You have no idea,"_ Naruto told himself. Very few eight year olds could hope to begin their bojutsu training with a full-length staff.

out loud he said, "Yeah, I've been lucky that way. What are my options for staves? I'm just looking for a beginner's one, something sturdy enough but not terribly expensive."

"I understand," Kuma said, showing him to a rack with a dozen staves of varying heights on it. "I'd go with a white oak staff, sturdy enough to last a long while, but not as expensive as a metal one. Now step over here and let's see which one fits you best."

Kuma got the right height on his first try, something Naruto again took notice of. _"Okay, he doesn't just make weapons, he _lives_ weapons,"_ he told himself, along with making a mental note to never piss the bear of a man off.

"That'll be 750 ryo," came the total once it was rung up, and Naruto tried to hide his wince. It wasn't terribly expensive for the quality he was receiving, but that still was more than a month's stipend.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Kuma," Naruto gave a slight bow as he attached the pouch to his thigh and filled it carefully with the thrown weapons, before grabbing the staff and setting it against his back. He channeled chakra to his back to hold the staff there, a trick he'd learned by watching some of the older shinobi walk around town.

"Thank you, come again," Kuma Higurashi gave him a smile that was partially hidden by the beard but belayed by his eyes crinkling. After the boy left, he walked back to his forge and began to pump the bellows therein. He had to restock the kunai and shuriken he sold, and what better time than the present?

"I love my job," Kuma whistled away happily as he began to work.

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**Fin.**

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_Well, finished up the first round of training. Just a few more to go. I was planning on doing an installment every two years or so. I know reading trough this gets repetitive after seeing it a hundred times in other stories, but next chapter is where the divergences will start to pile up._

_In regards to Naruto seeming too mature for his age, I don't see why he can't be smart. Obviously he isn't a tactical genius, but he's been training under the influence of the Queen of the Netherworld for two years already. That counts for quite a bit. Also, hormones are what come with age, not maturity. Naruto's hormones haven't kicked in yet, nor will they for some time._

_When coming up with names for people or techniques, I'll just be using Google Translate. I really don't care how proper it is or not, because I don't want to get hung up on simple things like that when I could be writing. My muse is slow enough as it is._

_'Kuma' is 'bear' and 'Matsu Mori' is 'pine tree forest', in case you were wondering. I looked out my window, saw the pines in the woods around my house, and that's where the name came from._

_Also, I'll do my best to start developing Naruto's personality in the next few chapters. Right now he's kind of...empty...because the only person he interacts with is Rozalin, who doesn't know anything about eight year olds. making friends will do the boy some good._

_The conversion rate for money in this story will be $1 = 10 ryo = 100 yen. That's what the first source I found said it'd approximate to, so that's what I'm using. It means his 750 ryo purchase would cost $75 or 7500 yen. All clear? Good._

_Now about shadow clones. They're always used, in just about every story ever._

_I don't like them._

_I mean, come on! They're a trump card for any situation apparently: combat, training, infiltration, control, etc. No, in this story, shadow clones will be slightly different._

_If they're used to do anything than a pre-programmed simple task (like hunting, menial work, signing paperwork, etc.), the user would have to split his awareness into the clone. This means no memory transfer, and that using more than one will likely drive anyone else insane from trying to work with multiple bodies at once. That's why it's a kinjutsu._

_Sorry, I just get uppity about them. People accuse Sasuke for cheating with his Sharingan, and then worship Naruto and his clones for taking shortcuts too. Double standards, people._

_Okay, rant done._

_I've been having second thoughts about the pairing. I'll put a poll up at some point to see who you all want to be with Naruto. Candidates at the moment are: Hinata, Yugito, Fu, Temari, Ino, and Tayuya. Tenten will be the main pairing, though I'll take input as to whether or not you want there to be more girls._

_I'd had this epiphany that, if Naruto is essentially going to be nurtured by demons, he won't exactly keep the same morals as regular people. If I do go the multiple pairing route, the girls will also have major personality shifts from canon. Can't really see shy Hinata being willing to share Naruto with others, can you? And he would _never_ put up with a fangirlish Ino._

_Still, this all depends on my ability to find legitimate reasons for the characters to meet up and subsequently fall for each other._

_Rock on, doods! Gotta run!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey Folks, Echo here!_

_More training in this chapter, but at least I'll be introducing some more characters in this chapter or the next. The pace should start picking up, especially with everything I've got planned.  
_

_Poll is up on my profile, if you want to take a minute and vote. I'm still pretty indecisive about it myself, so know that your vote will actually make a difference. As of right now, Yugito and Fu are winning, though there's still a long time before I'll close the poll down.  
_

_I went back and made a few minor changes in the first couple of chapters. Things like changing Underworld back to Netherworld, and a place where I accidentally called the Third the Fourth. I'll keep looking out to fix these errors as I become aware of them._

_I'm heading up to my brother's place tonight, so I'll try and get this posted later. I haven't been to his pad yet, and we're both looking forward to some much-needed catching up. His wife will be there too, to keep us in line. She's awesome, but it's still weird thinking that they're married now, and not just dating._

_And there I go getting off topic. If I have time to write about my social life, I have time to write this chapter. And without further ado..._

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**Chapter 3: Discoveries  
**

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Two years passed, and Naruto barely noticed.

He'd still had no luck in finding his parents' home, but didn't despair. After all, the rest of the village had been searching for a decade, and they hadn't found it yet. Well, not officially.

Under the guise of his Matsu persona, Naruto had begun to take advantage of the town's resources. He'd yet to find any information on the _Shadow Clone Jutsu_, but that wasn't unexpected considering it was a forbidden art. He'd have to look into infiltrating the Hokage tower at some point.

He was still rather limited in his training options. Yes, he'd been perfecting his accuracy with kunai, shuriken, and senbon (the last were a relatively recent addition, and his personal favorites), but he couldn't exactly ask any passing jounin for instructions on taijutsu or bojutsu. He was still a year away from entering the academy, and that made it even less likely for someone to take him on as a pupil.

His bojutsu training was going well, but still missing something. Naruto knew that any experienced user could overpower him, hanyou strength or not, and kept his eyes open for an instructor every time he went into town. He'd thought briefly about looking into buying a naginata, but saved his money for a blade instead.

After saving several months' rent, Naruto bought a tanto from Kuma Higurashi. The blade was almost a foot long, slightly shorter than a wakizashi, but it fit his grip almost perfectly. Kuma really knew how to pick weapons suited to the client, that's for sure. The blonde began wearing it at his hip, though he was anxious to buy a longer katana as soon as he had the ryo for it.

Rozalin had taught him a few basic mana exercises intended to increase his overall pool. Unlike his chakra and yokai stores, it was pitifully small at the moment. Still, he was rapidly overcoming that obstacle like everything else.

The demon had also begun teaching him external yokai manipulation. His favorite attack at the moment was the _Yokai Whip_, which could be used offensively or defensively. Right now it would only be able to trip people up or knock them back, but he hoped to have it powerful enough to cut through rock by the time he entered the academy.

Than in itself was looking to be a large problem. Naruto had no desire to waste the majority of each day listening to a couple of chuunin instructors drone on. He knew the Hokage would place him in the advanced class because of his parents, not that the man was any closer to admitting it. At the moment he was figuring on spending the time discretely working on his chakra control, but it would still cut into his training time to an absurd degree.

Naruto might have become rather pessimistic, if it weren't for the timely intervention of one Queen of the Netherworld.

.

"Wait, say that to me again," Naruto was staring dumbly back at Rozalin.

She sighed, but kept her smile up. "I finally figured out a way to open a rift to the Netherworld. When you open it, you should be able to jump back and forth as long as it's open."

"Should?" Naruto was skeptical.

"In theory," she admitted. "It's entirely possible you'll get stuck there and have to face hordes of freakishly strong demons trying to kill you night and day."

Naruto blinked before he laughed and scratched the back of his head. "At least that'd be interesting. Nothing cool ever happens around this stuffy old town. Now how are we going to do this?"

Rozalin grinned savagely, her pointed canines obvious over her bottom lip. "You're going to wake up and then head back to your den. Once there, I'm going to take over and open up the rift. An hour from now, you could see the splendor of the palace I grew up in. Sound like a plan?"

"Better than sitting around here," Naruto was already fading from the mindscape.

Once he was back in his body, he noticed that it was close to two in the morning. She'd interrupted his training to let him know about the news, and so he had been sprawled out under a tree while they talked. He was excited enough to run back to his den, looking forward to meeting some demons that could actually teach him to apply the basics he'd been building.

At the den, he settled himself into one of the smaller, unused side rooms. _"Hey, Rozalin-hime! Do you know where the portal will go to?"_ he mentally called to her.

_"Hell if I know,"_ was the response. He had no time to cringe before she commanded him to stand still and close his eyes.

A second later, a dark cloud of red and black energy erupted around Naruto's body. It was obviously very painful judging by how his muscles twitched, but he held true on his promise to let Rozalin direct the energy needed to form a Gate between realms.

The yokai began to materialize away from the blonde's body, making a shield-shaped projection in the air. Next, Naruto's own chakra began to leave his body in vast quantities, all heading to the swirling mass. As it accumulated, the disc turned from crimson to purple to bright white.

Lastly, Rozalin pumped it full of all the mana she could muster. Mana is not visible in its raw form, it only distorts the air around it like a heat wave. When the mana met the disc, the whole thing began to rotate slowly. It quickly gained speed until it was spinning fast enough that one wouldn't be able to tell if it was actually swirling or not.

And then it pulsed.

Naruto's body was thrown back against a wall rather violently, and Rozalin was forced back into the mindscape as she experienced the same sensation of blacking out as he did. It was a humbling moment for the Kyuubi, and she would always vehemently deny that it happened for years afterwards.

Even as Naruto slid down the wall to a crumpled heap on the floor, unconsciousness couldn't keep a broad smile away from his face.

The Gate was ready to be used.

.

"Owwww," Naruto moaned as he pushed himself up from the floor. Every muscle seemed to be on fire, and his vision swam as he got to his feet. "What in Kami's name hit me?"

_"You're just feeling some effects of energy exhaustion,"_ Rozalin's voice was just as disgruntled, even through the seal. _"Creating the initial Gate took almost all the energy we had combined, every single ounce of yokai, chakra, and mana. When we set up other Gates around the Netherworld and Elemental Countries, it won't take anywhere near as much power to get them fired up because we can connect them to this one."_

The blonde grunted in reply as he dragged himself to his larder. Even in the heat of the summer his den was kept cool, and so he could store food much longer. After grabbing a handful of dried roots and several strips of meat, he walked outside to sit down and eat.

_"You could have warned me about that,"_ Naruto groused at Rozalin. _"We're lucky that didn't kill us."_

_"Oh, cheer up,"_ she sounded very tired still. _"Besides, you're just grouchy because you've never actually been pushed enough to run out of energy before. Get used to this feeling, because any demon sensei you could have will push you beyond this limit every day you train with them. I'm going to take a nap, so _don't_ go messing around with the Gate yet. You'll need my help to__ set the destination."_

With that, he felt her close the connection. Naruto had no desire to train at the moment, a rare first for him, and so he decided to look for the Namikaze mansion that had been so elusive in the past.

As he walked through the forest, he absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair. It was getting quite long, to the point where it reached his shoulders in drooping spikes. As annoying as it was when it fell in front of his face, it kept his ears hidden. So far the Fourth hadn't noticed anything different, but he was sure he'd be forced to come clean when he graduated from the academy.

Just thinking about the shinobi school was enough to make Naruto cringe on the inside. He quickly turned his attention elsewhere.

As much as he would complain to Rozalin, he couldn't wait to step into the Netherworld. Up to date he had never had a sparring partner, and had no way to know whether or not his training had actually been effective. He grinned fiercely at the thought of completely letting loose against the demonic rabble Rozalin had told him about.

In the Netherworld, there were several distinct classes of demon. The (usually) weakest were the wandering demons. They held no allegiance to anyone save themselves or a small pack, and constantly fought whoever they could find in an attempt to become more powerful.

The second group were the demonic Tribes. The Tribes each had a select focus for combat, and unique skills that no other Tribe could learn. They were relatively secluded from each other, and served as mercenaries for a number of different armies.

Lastly were the High Demons, of which Rozalin was one of the most prominent. The High Demons were those that had power and money both, enough to assemble armies and fight with each other. The battles between high demons were fierce, bloody, and never seemed to stop. Rozalin would always get a far-away look in her eyes when she talked of her time as Overlord, and Naruto knew by her smile that they were good times.

Any demon could rise from Tribal (rarely wandering) status to High Demon, and Naruto would be dropped right in the middle of this ongoing conflict. Rozalin stressed heavily that he would need to make allies with the right people if he wanted to have any influence in the Netherworld.

Naruto was broken from his thoughts by the sound of snarling and rapid movement. He looked up just in time to see a rather large wolf jumping through the air, spittle flying from open jaws that sought his throat.

He managed to bring his left arm up to block the bite, teeth puncturing the skin as it clamped down hard. The blow pushed him back against a nearby rock ledge, knocking some of the breath from his lungs at the sudden impact.

Naruto drew his tanto with his right hand and thrust it into the wolf's side, missing the heart and lungs but causing it enough pain that it let out a whine and released him. As it circled around him, the blonde sheathed the tanto and drew his staff.

The wolf darted in again, only to be met with the end of the solid white oak pole. Naruto jumped forward and delivered a series of blows to the beast's head, though he was inwardly disappointed with how sloppy it felt. Not having a teacher was a real hindrance to fighting effectively.

It took perhaps thirty seconds before the wolf decided to go find some weaker prey, something that didn't have such a wide danger radius.

"Kami, I love having a staff," Naruto admired the aged wood. It was still almost in the same condition he had bought it in, just with a few scratches and nicks here and there.

He examined his arm, noting that his healing factor had already closed the relatively small wounds. Still, a half dozen lighter patches of scar tissue would remind him to stay vigilant all the time, not just during a fight.

Some blood had trickled down his forearm, and he absentmindedly wiped it off on the same rock formation. He would have continued walking, but a sudden flash of light had him turning with wide eyes.

The rock ledge had split open, revealing a passageway that led deeper into the hillside. Naruto carefully slung his staff back into place before he drew his tanto.

_"I must have accidentally set off a seal of some kind," _he thought to himself. _"I can't just leave now, but who knows what this place is. It's way too well hidden to not be important."_

He began to make his way down the hall, eyes easily adjusting to the dark like his own den. He walked for more than a minute down the passage, noting that it took a couple of turns right and left along the way.

He slowed when he noticed light from the direction he was heading, though it wasn't very bright. In fact, as he got closer, it was obvious that the light came from within the passage itself, and not from the outdoors.

Several orbs were hanging from the ceiling, giving off a cheery golden light and warmth almost like actual sunlight. A door decorated in a large spiral loomed at the end of the hall, though there was no visible knob or handle to open it.

Naruto tried not to let his hopes rise too much, but this was getting him very excited. _"Did I actually find the entrance to my parents' house?"_ he wondered. _"I mean, a hall hidden with what must have been a blood seal, ending in a door that has the Uzumaki spiral on it? This has 'mystery' written all over it."_

He examined the spiral for a while, and tried pushing no the door. It wouldn't budge to the side or inwards, and there was no way to pull it towards himself. As his bare hand moved over the spiral, he felt a sucking sensation at his chakra.

Naruto played tug-of-war with the spiral (which he was convinced was hiding another seal of some kind), before he decided that if it really was his parent's place he was likely the only person who could pass the tests to get inside. With that, he stopped struggling for control, and actively pushed the little chakra he had left into the door.

Almost instantly, the spiral glowed red, expanded, and began to turn. A pinprick of a hole showed from the middle of the design, and it rapidly grew amidst the spinning crest. Moments later it was large enough that Naruto could step through.

Once inside, the spiral closed again, though there was still a great deal of light inside the room. There were a series of the same glowing orbs illuminating the household, though the blonde had no idea what they were powered off of. He didn't know enough about sealing to even guess how they worked, so he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as he explored.

It was a cozy place, obviously meant for a small family and not to show off wealth or status. There were two stories, with three bedrooms (one of which had been converted into a nursery), an office/library, bathroom, kitchen, pantry, and several storage closets. He was tempted to stay and look through the scrolls in the library, but forced himself to move on.

If Naruto had any doubts that this was his parents' old home, he threw them away at seeing a framed picture of Minato and a very pregnant Kushina on a nearby shelf. He picked it up, and had to wipe away a stray tear that threatened to fall.

Naruto prided himself on being tough, but this was a feeling he had no experience with. He had never had any family to speak of, and his relationship with Rozalin was more like teacher and devoted student rather than a closer role. It was something he greatly desired, but didn't think he'd ever be able to achieve.

_"Better see if there's anything useful here,"_ Naruto told himself as he carefully set the picture back in its place. _"I'll have to see about moving the stuff from my den over here. I should try and find the deed to the house as well, so that no one could try and take it away from me once it comes out that I've been living here. So much to do now, where do I start?"_

He saw spared that decision when a groggy voice came from his head. _"Where the Hell are we, Naruto?"_ Rozalin was obviously still half asleep. _"This isn't your den. Now whose house did you break into?"_

_"Mine, actually,"_ he sent back with a mental grin. _"More accurately, my parents', but I'm going to assume that they wanted me to have it. Now was there something else you needed?"_

_"B-B-B-" _Rozalin actually stuttered. _"But how?! When?!"_

Naruto took ten minutes to explain how he found the hillside home, including the fight with the wolf.

_"I can't say I'm happy you actually got hurt by a wolf, but at least it led to something good,"_ she stated finally. _"And as much as I'm sure you'd love to look around otherwise, I want you to get your butt back to your den so you can get to the Netherworld. We can come back here later."_

The blonde nodded, but glanced wistfully about as he left to head down the long passageway. He noticed that the spiral door and rock ledge closed themselves again as he left before dashing off back to his own den. He had a sensei to find.

After a minute he was standing in front of the swirling vortex of combined energies. _"So, how do I do this?"_ Naruto asked the resident demon.

_"Put your hand into the middle, and focus on this image," _said demon showed him a mental picture of a sprawling mansion surrounded by lavage fields and other buildings. _"This is my childhood home which is known as the Overlord's Fortress, and I set up a permanent Gate there before I left last. There are going to be new residents in all likelihood, so expect to either fight for your life, run like Hell, or submit like a bitch."  
_

Naruto snorted. "_Like Hell I'll run away! This place was your home, and I'll take it back with the fury of a thousand storms. Believe it!"_

With that, he threw his hand forward while concentrating hard on the image Rozalin had sent him. The gate changed from blue-white to a silvery grey, and he was sucked through before he had time to think any more on what was happening around him.

The journey itself was...different. Naruto could feel pressure on all parts of his body, not painful but deep into the uncomfortable stage. Colors and lights flashed in front of his eyes, and he had the distinct impression he was falling headfirst much faster than gravity intended for ten year olds to fall.

He was right on that last count. The colors, lights, and pressure disappeared suddenly, just in time for the former two to return as he crashed headfirst into and trough a wood floor.

Naruto groaned heavily from where he'd finally come to a stop. "Kami above, that sucked," he grumbled to himself as he was about to get to his feet. Key words 'about to', because the sensation of several sharp things being pushed against his throat snapped him back to reality.

Half a dozen demons were clustered around him, faces showing a mixture of amusement, distrust, confusion, and anger. Each was wielding either a sword, spear, staff, or axe. Though they didn't press hard enough to draw blood, none were easing up the slightest.

If Naruto was old enough, he could have shaved himself by sneezing. He made very sure to stay very still and look as un-intimidating as possible.

_"Hahahaha!"_ Rozalin had collapsed and was rolling around in hysterics. _"So much for not submitting like a bitch! Oh, this is too much!"_

At her words, the other demons' eyes grew wide. One of them, a girl with messy red hair and small bat wings, grinned widely after a few moments.

"Oh, we're going to have fun with _you!_" she cackled.

Naruto whimpered.

Rozalin was still laughing her ass off.

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**Fin.**

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.

_Three chapters down! Not much of an achievement to some, but that's huge for me. A couple quick notes before I let you go:_

_Yeah, the Namikaze house is different than what others portray. I could easily see Minato and Kushina wanting a quiet place to raise their family, one away from the main village. I still have a _lot_ of development for that house yet, so don't think you won't get any more detail for it. I was just in a hurry to get Naruto to the Netherworld._

_Naruto shouldn't have had any trouble sensing the wolf otherwise (smell/hearing/sight), but he'd been pushed as close to chakra exhaustion as he'd ever been. It was a valuable lesson-stay vigilant even when all you want to do is drop._

_The Gates might end up as a really important part of this story. I'm still thinking on those lines, but it struck me just how versatile they'd be in the hands of a skilled ninja._

_I realize the summary promises bad-ass weapons. No worries, they're on their way. By graduation he'll have at least one, and others will follow it. Give me a few chapters to get there, though._

_Fu is leading in the poll, closely followed by Yugito and Temari. No votes for Ino or Hinata yet. I was actually pretty surprised by that latter fact._

_Lastly, thanks for reading! Leave a review if you feel so inclined. I'd love to get some more feedback from you guys._

_Rock on, doods! Gotta run!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey folks._

_Sorry for not updating in a long while. My summer plans fell through (actually the employer bailed on me, but I'm trying not to be too bitter) and I've been insanely busy trying to find a new job before school finishes up. Add in more homework than I've ever had in my life, some health problems (the stress is giving me hypertension), and keeping up with track practice, and I no longer know what free time is._

_Because of that, I'm going to put Raising Hell on hiatus until June, when things should be sorted out. If life runs smoothly before that, maybe I'll get a chapter posted, but I can't promise that right now. I'm really sorry about that, I feel like I've let you readers down just as you gave me a chance._

_I hope everyone can understand my choices here. I love writing, but it's a hobby that doesn't have precedence over the rest of my life. Thanks for reading at least some of Raising Hell, and I hope I can get back to it soon._

_Take care and rock on, doods._

_-Echo_


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